LAHORE, May 21: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Aml, two alliances encompassing some 20 political and religious parties, decided on Tuesday to boycott the Wednesday’s all-party conference President Gen Pervez Musharraf has called for consultations with leaders of all shades of opinion on the growing tension between Pakistan and India and deciding on how to deescalate the situation.
The failure of the government to accept the APC’s demands “made in the best national interest” a couple of days ago has been cited as the major reason behind the “protest” by the two alliances.
The boycott decision was announced by ARD President Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan after a day-long face-to-face or telephonic contacts with important leaders of the two alliances at his Nicholson Road residence.
The PML(QA) of Mian Mohammad Azhar, the Pakistan Awami Tehrik of Dr Tahirul Qadri, the Millat Party of Sardar Farooq Ahmed Leghari, the National People’s Party of Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, the PML(J) of Hamid Nasir Chattha, the Awami National Party of Asfandyar Wali Khan, the National Awami Party Pakistan of Ajmal Khattak, the Qaumi Jamhoori Party of Omar Asghar Khan and the Awami Tehrik of Imran Khan are among the parties which will participate in the consultative meeting.
Before the Nawabzada announced the boycott decision, former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif also apprised the octogenarian leader of their respective views on the subject by phone. PPP Senior Vice-President Makhdoom Amin Faheem and Punjab president Qasim Zia were present when the architect of many opposition alliances articulated the rationale of the boycott decision. Despite the boycott, he said, opposition parties would play their due role in defending the country against any possible Indian aggression.
The Nawabzada said the APC had demanded the appointment of a full-time army chief, resignation of Gen Musharraf from all “de facto positions, the establishment of a neutral interim government of national consensus and the formation of an autonomous election commission to ensure free and fair elections.” But, he complained, the rulers had rejected all these demands without caring to consider how best they served the country’s interest, specially in the prevailing situation.
He did not agree with the suggestion that the ARD leaders should meet Gen Musharraf unconditionally, like they had been meeting him in the past, without insisting on the acceptance of their demands at this crucial juncture when the security of the country was at stake.
The ARD chief recalled that opposition parties had held talks with the late president Ayub Khan and the late prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto only when they had first accepted their demands. “We don’t undermine the importance of negotiations, but we are not willing to compromise on our principles.”
In fact, said the Nawabzada, what Gen Musharraf called consultations was nothing more than a briefing and in the presence of so many “sycophants” in what he called a “classroom” it was not possible for anyone to offer a serious piece of advice, specially which was not in
line with the government’s thinking.
“But, as the most senior political leader you are under greater obligation to help the government find a way out of the prevailing situation,” a reporter suggested.
“You would have had quite a different opinion if you had only once attended the class (lectured by Gen Musharraf),” he replied.
He did not like his APCs to be likened with the “class” addressed by Gen Musharraf in the name of consultations.
“When you are not willing to offer even an advice to the government, what other practical steps can be expected from opposition parties with respect to the country’s defence?” asked a reporter.
The ARD chief replied that Gen Musharraf had never considered them capable of offering any advice. The general, he claimed, took all the decisions by himself. People in his cabinet were very “courageous” as they accepted all decisions punched on them, he said sarcastically.
When asked how could the boycott decision be in the national interest, he pointed out that his alliance had never liked to sit with elements opposed to the country’s integrity while the rulers had been holding talks with those who did not believe in the unity of the motherland — an obvious reference to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement of Altaf Hussain and the Sindh National Front of Mumtaz Ali Bhutto.
He regretted that the government had not extended an invitation to the Jamhoori Watan Party, a component of the ARD. In such a situation what other decision could be expected of the opposition parties, the Nawabzada queried.
When asked how, in his opinion, could the government deal with the situation on the borders, the ARD chief said it was for the rulers to answer whether they could defend the country by dividing the nation into pro-and anti-government camps.
PPP: A PPP leader who did not wish to be named said his party had asked the government to contact Ms Bhutto for consultations. When the government refused, the PPP said then it should approach the ARD, of which the PPP was a component.
The PPP leader believed that under the false impression of his unparalleled victory in the referendum, Gen Musharraf was bound to take wrong decision, which the opposition parties would exploit.
PML(N): A central leader of the PML(N), Ahsan Iqbal said at a news conference that the government should establish a direct contact with Mian Nawaz Sharif in case it wanted the party to participate in Wednesday’s APC.
He said to bolster the national defence Gen Musharraf should take steps to bring an end to the present state of polarisation.
He said after the presidential referendum, it was incumbent upon Gen Musharraf to appoint a full-time COAS to ensure the integrity of the country.
